By Jeff Caruso, Executive Director
I find myself disagreeing with a lot of President Trump’s statements, but he sure made a great point recently when he gave Planned Parenthood a choice: keep its public funding or keep performing abortions. He said:
I am pro-life and I am deeply committed to investing in women’s health and plan to significantly increase federal funding in support of nonabortion services such as cancer screenings. Polling shows the majority of Americans oppose public funding for abortion, even those who identify as pro-choice. There is an opportunity for organizations to continue the important work they do in support of women’s health, while not providing abortion services.
Quite unfortunately, Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards tweeted in response:
This exchange captures what the debate in Congress and across the country over public funding of Planned Parenthood is really about: whether taxpayers like you and me should be forced to fund the abortion industry. That’s right, the abortion industry. “Proud to provide abortion – a necessary service … vital to [its] mission,” Planned Parenthood
- is responsible for one in three of all abortions done in the U.S. – nearly 900 a day
- conducts almost 17 times more abortions than birth-oriented services
- aborts 160 children for every 1 child it refers for adoption, and
- garners 86% of its non-government revenue from the abortions it provides.
Abortion is not only “vital” to Planned Parenthood, it’s actually its biggest business. Should we really give the abortion industry’s largest abortion provider more than half a billion dollars when we do our taxes?
Because we say no way, we and countless other pro-life advocates will keep pushing for legislation to strip public money from the abortion industry, nationally as well as here in Virginia. Even as abortions continue in high numbers, we taxpayers must be free to live the Gospel of Life. We who are blessed with life are called to defend life, including with our wallets. That’s a vital part of our mission.